Hard Mated

“Liam’s brother is his second. In a close race with their dad.”

“Liam’s brother is the Guardian and shouldn’t be used as his second. And by rights, their dad should be dead.”

In the wild, Dylan Morrissey, Liam’s father, certainly would have been dead. But Liam had shown him mercy. For the first time in Shifter history, the old clan leader was allowed to live out his life instead of being killed or driven into the wilderness by the newer, younger leader. Civilized life in Shiftertown was changing everything.

“The point is,” Gavan said, “In Shiftertowns, the leadership is all messed up. Why should one Feline clan, the Morrisseys, rule? That was an arbitrary decision by the humans. Why is Liam at the head of the Austin Shiftertown? Why was it Dylan before him? You and me know far more about what goes on in both Austin and San Antonio than anyone else. The leaders pretend they’re on top of things, but we do all the grunt work.”

“Does your Shiftertown leader agree with you?” Spike asked.

Gavan laughed. “Would I be talking to you if he did?”

The leader of the San Antonio Shiftertown these days was a Lupine, who had been head of the highest ranking Lupine clan there. Though Gavan had stayed on as the Lupine’s tracker, no one in Gavan’s family had any real power, which, Spike thought, must be at the heart of the matter.

“So you want me to fight?” Spike asked.

“Yep. Fight and win. That’s it.”

Spike reached for his coffee and took another sip. “Who am I fighting?”

“You worry about that when you step into the ring. I’m putting a lot of money on you, which should tell you I’m not concerned about you losing.”

“And you don’t care if I tell Liam all this?”

Gavan opened his hands. “It’s your choice. It’s not against the rules for me to talk to you about the fights, and to tell you I think you’re a winner. Whether you decide to use your skills to move up the hierarchy is your business. But if I’m ever in a position to make you my enforcer, my second—and I’m not saying I will be—you’ll be hearing from me.”

Spike folded his hands around his cup and studied the liquid inside. Let Gavan think him slow instead, while in truth Spike’s thoughts were chasing each other around like Jordan chasing himself around Spike’s house. Gavan was trying to be subtle, but he’d always been about as subtle as a leopard with square spots.

Ambitious Shifters weren’t hard to find—it was natural to try to move up in the hierarchy. Better to be dominant than have to let others kick your ass all the time. Even Jordan, young as he was, had started trying to establish his position.

Spike took another sip of coffee. “Win the fights,” he repeated. “What if I can’t? What if I’m up against a Shifter who happens to be better than me?” Didn’t happen often, but it happened.

Gavan’s affable look remained, but his eyes lost all warmth, his false friendliness vanishing. “You’ll win, Spike. Losing isn’t an option.”

“But if I do?”

“Make damn sure you don’t.”

Meaning that if Spike screwed up whatever Gavan had planned, Gavan would take restitution.

Two days ago, Spike wouldn’t have cared much. He’d do what he wanted and tell Gavan to go screw himself. Today, he had much more to lose. Jordan. Myka. Life suddenly had possibilities, ones he didn’t want to miss.

When Spike looked up from his coffee again, he let none of this show in his eyes. “Sounds simple. I usually win anyway.”

Gavan relaxed a fraction. “Good then. Saturday night is the next fight club. See you then. In the meantime, go spend time with your cub. I hear he’s a handful.”

“He’s fine,” Spike said, letting the growl enter his voice.

Gavan chuckled. “Good for you.”

He reached across the table to clasp Spike’s shoulder. Spike’s every instinct told him to jerk away and rip Gavan’s face off, but he made himself sit still. That fight was yet to come.

*** *** ***

Myka woke when she heard the porch swing creak.

She’d bunked down on the comfortable couch in the living room, Jordan in bed down the hall, sleeping the all-out way only kids could sleep. Meant he’d be full of energy tomorrow.

Myka rose and peeked out the living room window to see Spike sitting alone on the swing, moonlight slanting across the boards of the porch. The ticking clock next to the sofa told her it was midnight.

She opened the door quietly and stepped out onto the porch.

Spike didn’t look up at her. He’d know she was there, because he was Shifter, and he’d hear and scent her. Myka crept across the porch and sat down beside him.

Why did she like being so close to him? His body heat slid across her skin, soothing her. She was supposed to not trust him, but her fears had started eroding the minute she’d seen him rescue Jordan from that tree.

“You all right?” she asked, keeping her voice hushed.

Spike gazed out across the porch railing to the silent house on the other side of the street. “When you look at me, Myka, what do you think?”

“What?” She moved her gaze up and down his body. “What do you mean?”

“What do you see?” Spike turned his head and looked at her, his Shifter eyes once again tinged with luminescent gold. “When you saw me last night, for the first time, what did you see in me?”